CycleClips 28 March 2014

CTC's new podcast on the Great War; Mother's Day Gift Membership; Make sense of the Census; Door uproar; Swap shop in NZ; The THINK! campaign; The Evolution of the Bicycle; Wiggo enjoys some rough and tumble!

Several CTC events[12] around the country commemorate the cyclists who have fallen in battle. There will be a special programme of events at The Heart of England rally[13] to commemorate the start of the Great War. These will include a display of memorabilia so if you have anything to contribute, please contact the organiser John Bennett[14]. We’d also love to hear from you[15] if anyone in your family served in one of the cyclist battalions, or you can help with research into CTC members serving in the Great War.

Julie Rand, CTC Information Team

The charge of the bike brigade

The next instalment of CTC’s special free podcas[16]t looks at the vital role CTC members played on the battlefields of France as part of a cycling battalion in the First World War. The half-hour recording includes an interview with Jim Fitzpatrick, the author of ‘The Bicycle in Wartime[17]’. It also delves into the articles and letters of the CTC Gazette during that time and we hear fascinating reminiscences from CTC Member Bert Catchpole, who was born in 1914 and is still going strong!

More top stories

Make your mother's day

If your mother is a cyclist too, what would thrill her far more than a bunch of flowers on Mother’s Day? CTC Gift Membership[18] of course! And it will last the whole year through, rather than just a week or so. Not only will she receive her own edition of CycleClips, she’ll also get a free pair of DHB sunglasses for her next ride, worth £29.99. Unless you keep them for yourself, of course…

Making sense of the Census

A new report[19] from the Office for National Statistics confirms which authorities are getting it right for cycle commuting - and which ones aren't. Cycling in London has boomed over the last ten years and several other cities also saw substantial increases[20]. Cambridge has the highest rate of cycle commuters at 29% but the proportion in England and Wales as a whole is still only 2.8%.

Door uproar Down Under

Poor infrastructure for cyclists exists in other countries, too. In Melbourne, there has been an outcry[21] after a cyclist was hit by a taxi door while riding in a very narrow ‘cycle lane’. This prompted calls by a BMW worker for others to start ‘dooring’ cyclists and posting the results on social media. CTC charity the Cyclists’ Defence Fund’s briefing[22] explains the UK law on being doored.

The multi-modal swap shop

But it’s not all doom and gloom in the Antipodes. A lovely item on 3News[23] in New Zealand showed how bus drivers and cyclists in Auckland are learning to respect each other by swapping places. The drivers movingly recall how they first learned to ride a bike and are then seen enjoying a short ride around town. The cyclists then see that bus drivers are human too by seeing the view from the cab.

We THINK! it's only a quite good campaign

Meanwhile, back in the UK, the Department for Transport's relaunched THINK! campaign[24] for cycle safety does remind drivers to look for cyclists when opening car doors. However, CTC’s Chris Peck says that, although the visual imagery of the campaign is acceptable, it generally fails to recognise that crashes between cyclists and drivers are nearly always the latters’ fault.

The theory of revolution

The bicycle has been around for well over a hundred years. Evolution of the Bicycle[25] is an entertaining animation showing in 90 seconds how it evolved from the basic hobby horse of the early 19th century to the elegant machine we know and love today. And if you ever wondered what makes a bike stay upright, this demonstration[26] shows how, paradoxically, gravity is a necessity.

Wiggo enjoys some rough and tumble!

Competitors in the Rough and Tumble Challenge in the special Sport Relief edition of The Archers[27] last weekend (at 1.01) know all about the effects of gravity. The game involved a cycle sprint and a guest appearance[28] by none other than Sir Bradley Wiggins. By all accounts[29], his acting ability was almost as good as his cycling prowess! But don’t expect him to swap lycra for corduroy any time soon…

The pre-Tour tour

His thoughts are probably now turning to a real-life event. If you fancy finding out what's in store for him in this year's Tour de France, CTC Holidays' Premiere Le Grand Depart Yorkshire[30] tour from 28 June-4 July takes in some of the route before the professionals arrive. Tackle the famous climbs, ride through pretty villages and meander through stunning valleys for only £399 half-board.

Julie Rand has edited CycleClips since 2011 and has been working at CTC in various guises since 2001.